Photographer, painter, diarist, costume designer—interior decorator. Who else can be described as such besides Cecil Beaton? And although Beaton is most famous for his fashion and portrait photography, his life in and involved with homes was just as integral to his identity. Beaton was not an interior designer in the conventional way that we think of the job title today. But between his commercial commissions—hotel rooms, the occasional nightclub—as well as his own renowned homes, he more than earns the title within the context of his day and age. And now an upcoming book, Cecil Beaton at Home: An Interior Life, takes a closer look at this aspect of his work and social milieu. From the famed Circus Bedroom at his estate Ashcombe House to watercolor sketches he made of another home, the book is a true delight. So sit back, relax, and click through a selection of images gathered together in this publication. As Beaton once said, “not to take pleasure in one’s surroundings is to miss one of the great delights of life.”

Cecil Beaton at Home: An Interior Life (Rizzoli), by Andrew Ginger, is out October 25, 2016.